Coaching Association

Younger Blaney Also Working In State

Every chance he got, Brian Blaney would rush to the basketball court to be with his father, George, then the head coach at Holy Cross and currently the associate head coach at UConn.

Now, Blaney will also be coaching in Connecticut, as an assistant at Fairfield.

The footsteps Blaney has followed are not small ones. The Blaney name is well respected among college coaches and fans, especially in this region. George Blaney, 68, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, won 357 games at Holy Cross and 459 overall, and in recent years has become a calming presence next to UConn coach Jim Calhoun.

"I was always in the gym," said Brian Blaney, 37. "I was able to travel with the team sometimes. It was a big thrill to have the team over for Thanksgiving dinners and go to Christmas night practices."

Fun for Dad, too.

"He would always be around, playing on the side and watching," George Blaney said. "It was a great way to grow up. My guess is that I have rubbed off on him. I think he has been around me for so long he took some things from my style. But he has been at it long enough now that he relies on his own abilities."

Brian Blaney spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach at Fairfield's MAAC rival Loyola of Maryland, serving as associate head coach since 2006. He also coached at Miami of Ohio, George Washington, Fordham and Stony Brook, serving under Herb Sendek, Mike Jarvis, Tom Penders and Nick Macarchuk. Blaney joined Ed Cooley's Fairfield staff on July 1.

"Fairfield is the perfect fit. I grew up in New England and consider myself a New England guy," said Blaney, whose fiancee is from Westchester, N.Y. "We will be closer to both of our families."

Cooley, entering his third season at Fairfield, is familiar with Blaney, having lost to Loyola in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament the past two seasons.

"Brian called me out of the blue and I was caught by surprise, but intrigued. He seemed like a good fit right away," Cooley said. "He has a great ability to recruit and adds a lot to the community. Knowing the league is important, and they beat us twice in the quarterfinals, so hey, if you can't beat 'em, take someone from them."

The MAAC is in Blaney's blood because he grew up watching Holy Cross, then a conference member, compete with Fairfield and others.

"I am happy that I get to remain in the league, one I know inside and out," he said. "I respect the tradition a lot. I already have contacts up here for recruiting . . . which will be a big help."

The youngest of five children and the only one to follow his father's path into coaching, Blaney graduated from Roanoke College in Salem, Va., where he played Division III basketball. The team went 26-2 his senior season, making the 1994 NCAA tournament. Blaney spent a lot of time on the bench that season with injuries, but developed leadership/coaching skills.

"He was a lot like myself, the typical coach's son, heady and a winner," said Blaney's college coach Page Moir, whose father, Charles, won 616 games at Roanoke, Tulane and Virginia Tech. "From the moment he arrived here he was thinking about becoming a coach; he never thought of anything else.

"I think he will be a steal for Fairfield. He has what it takes to get players motivated and to produce at the highest level."

Blaney is faced with an intriguing schedule. Not only will he return to Holy Cross and play Loyola twice, he will visit UConn to face his father for the first time on Dec. 27.

"It should be fun, especially if [Fairfield] can be competitive," Blaney said. "It could give them a lot of confidence. [The Holy Cross] game will be a treat. I've never coached there in my 13 years, and it will be fun to reminisce in a place I grew up."

While Blaney may be looking forward to his December encounter with his father, George Blaney is a little hesitant.

"It's hard to coach against friends, so it should be even more difficult against him," his father said. "I'm not particularly looking forward to it, but I'm sure we'll compete as normal once the ball goes up, and then hopefully go out for dinner after."